Now that road-safety laws have tightened up since the '70s when Fear and Loathing was published, you'll need to look at alternative transport for your LA-to-Las-Vegas trip if you want to play Hunter S. Thompson while under the influence.

A gambling train? Sure, I think Thompson would improve. There are no bats on trains, after all.

Believe it or not, the X Train is actually going to happen, with the developers boasting of a 2011 launch. It'll use converted railcars, and as the renders show it'll be very red! plush! swirly-swirly! plush! Though apparently one of the photos—this one—is actually a real-life photo from the Blue Train, in South Africa. Puzzling.

Despite doubts over one of the photos, you've got to admit it's a bloody cool idea. It'll take 5.5 hours to travel between the two cities—with no Tobey Maguire-lookalike hitch-hikers to be found, hopefully. [X Train via Core77 via FastCompany]